Heart Disease

What Is Heart Disease?

Heart disease, or coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Many problems with the heart happen because of atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque in arteries. Plaque buildup causes your arteries to narrow, which makes it harder for your blood to flow freely through your body.

Types of heart disease

Heart attack: When a blood clot cuts off blood flow to part of your heart.

Stroke: When a blood vessel to your brain gets blocked, often by a blood clot.

Heart failure: When your heart isn't pumping blood as effectively as it used to. Your body doesn't get as much blood and oxygen as it needs.

Arrhythmia: When you have an abnormal heart rhythm. It may beat irregularly, too fast, or too slow.

Heart valve problems: When a heart valve doesn't open or close properly, affecting how the heart pumps blood through your body.

Heart disease causes and risk factors

Causes of heart disease may include:

A buildup of plaque over time.

Damage to your heart over time from poorly managed chronic conditions or lifestyle factors.

A heart-valve birth defect.

Most factors that increase your risk of heart disease relate to lifestyle, such as:

High cholesterol

High blood pressure

Smoking

Diabetes

Family history of heart disease

Obesity

Age

Nearly half of Americans have at least one heart disease risk factor.

Why choose UPMC for heart disease care?

Surgeons at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute have pioneered minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat heart disease. We work as a team to provide complete heart disease treatment — from prevention to diagnosis.

Tests you may need to help your doctor confirm a heart disease diagnosis include:

Electrocardiogram (EKG) — this is a simple, painless test that checks your heart's electrical activity. It looks for heart damage or signs of a prior heart attack.

Stress test — during this test, you perform moderate exercise, like walking on a treadmill, to get your heart beating faster. The test checks for shortness of breath andabnormal changes in your heart rate, blood pressure, or heart's rhythm.

Blood tests — this test finds heart disease risk factors, such as the cholesterol, sugar, and proteins in your blood.

Echocardiogram — this test uses sound waves to take pictures of your heart. It checks blood flow and the size and shape of your heart's valves and chambers.

Heart catheterization — this test uses a dye and an x-ray to check how blood flows through your heart and blood vessels. Your doctor will insert the dye into a vein in your arm, groin, or neck using a catheter, or a thin tube.

Surgery and procedures to treat heart disease

You may need surgery to open blocked arteries or to repair or replace a valve.

Methods we use to treat heart disease include:

Angioplasty — surgeons thread a catheter through a blood vessel and into a blocked artery. They inflate a balloon at the end of the catheter to compress plaque and allow blood to flow freely through the artery.

For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1.

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